Week 3: The "eat-what-we-got" challenge

Keepin' it real this week, friends. Didn't stick to the plan very well. Even went out to eat a few times. But, we didn't buy any groceries, so I guess it's not all bad. Here's what we actually ate...

Last week's meals
Monday - Leftovers and corn on the cob
Tuesday - Out
Wednesday- Fried green tomatoes with pasta (recipe coming this week)
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Out
Saturday - Cheesy potatoes for a cookout with friends

Since we finally got some eggplant and peppers from the garden, I'm hoping to use those this week. Here's the plan... only through Wednesday this time.

This week's meals:

Sunday - Stuffed green peppers with corn on the cob

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Baked pesto chicken with corn on the cob

Wednesday- 

Eggplant parmesan

And here's the pantry list. I've colored the items I'll be using this week in red and crossed out the used items, which will disappear in future weeks.

Meat
Pre-cooked ground sausage
Chicken breast
Ground beef (1)

Beef roast

Salmon
Tilapia

Vegetables
Frozen corn (4)
Frozen mixed veggies (2)
Frozen snap peas
Frozen peas
Frozen shredded zucchini and squash
Frozen Asparagus
Frozen winter squash
Potatoes
Hash browns (4)(2)

Fruit
Strawberries
Peaches
Rhubarb

Cheese
Cheddar (3) (2)
Mozzarella (3) (2)
Mexican (2)
Cream cheese (3)

Pasta
Macaroni
Lasagna
Fettucini (2)
Linguine
Spaghetti (3)
Egg noodles (2) (1)

Canned goods
Black beans (4)
Diced tomatoes (2)
Mexican diced and whole tomatoes (4)
Tomato sauce (7)
Tomato paste
Pizza sauce (2)
Spaghetti sauce (5)
Mushroom
Tuna (2)
Corn
Manwich (2)
Cream of mushroom soup
Cream of chicken soup (2)
Baked beans (3)
Olives (2)
Enchilada sauce (4)

Misc.
Eggs

Bisquick
Taco seasoning (5)
Tortillas
Beef stew seasoning
Italian seasoning (3)
Walnuts
Brown rice
White rice
Raisins
Peanuts
Pecans
A variety of baking supplies, including flours, sugars, etc.

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Renovation progress report - week 51

Wow. It's almost been a year since we've closed on our house. When I'm done with school (NEXT WEEK! WOO!), I'm planning to make a page with easy links to each week of the renovation. I'm sure you've been waiting with baited breath.

But, this week...  we made more process. And we're getting there.

Ryan began to work on tile backsplash this week. Which I'm loving. I picked white subway tile with grey grout. I also got the window trim painted.

Ryan could do without all the tile cutting. But it will all be worth it in the end. Right?

We did decide to paint the interior of the front door black. And Ryan painted it for me, which makes this my favorite painting project ever. I love it.

We also got some more new furniture this week and started filling up the living room.

A few chairs, coffee table, a couple ottomans.... it's coming together. But, I'm having hard time figuring out how to set up the room. It's really long but not very wide. It looks kind of dark in this picture, but we'll work on that.

The other progress this week - this week we finished another coat of paint on the floors and walls in the basement, trim painting in the master bedroom closet and lots more cleaning.

And that, my friends, is the week in review.

What do you think?

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Guest posting at Serenity Now

I'm guest posting for my friend Amanda over at Serenity Now's today. I'm sharing one of my favorite easy recipes - the cheesy potatoes. I hope you'll go check it out and leave me some comment love.

Happy Wednesday!

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My top five free iPhone apps

You remember when I got an iPhone for my birthday in April? No? Go check it out. I created my own lyrics for the occasion. I had been wanting one for a while and finally Verizon offered it and I broke down Ryan's will. (Wife of the year.)

And can I be honest? It's all I hoped for and more. You may think I'm being dramatic, but I'm not kidding when I say that it has revolutionized my life.

(I'll wait while you gag.)

I'm considering getting an iPhone tattoo on my hand to profess my undying love. Just kidding. But that would be funny, right? Then, it'd always be on me. (Like it isn't anyhow. As an aside - I used to lose my phone on a daily basis. I've only lost my phone once in the past three months. That's totally a record.)

Anyhoo, the best part of the iPhone (besides the access to the Internet - and most especially Google - at any time) are the apps. If you get an iPhone and don't use the apps, you so crazy.

So, since I'm nowhere near an expert, I thought I'd share my top five free apps so far and ask for your recommendations. I started out my app search by posting on Facebook and Twitter asking for recommendations, and several of these came out of those conversations. Several others were ones I found on my own.

While I have purchased some apps, I'm sticking to my favorite free apps. Everyone loves free, right?

So, here we go... my favorite free iPhone apps to date.
1. All Recipes (Free)

The recipe spinner rocks my world. Since we've been trying to use up food in the freezer/pantry, I've been using this a lot. You can search by ingredient, way to cook (slow cooker), etc.  And, it's free, so you cannot go wrong. I've used a couple other recipes apps, but this is, by far, my favorite and the easiest to use.

2. Sherwin-Williams Color Snap (Free)

If you are into paint, you must download this app. My favorite feature - you can snap a photo of anything and find the closest color to parts of the photo. Never stand paralyzed in the paint aisle again. Freedom!

3. Pinterest (Free)

The newest update to the Pinterest app is better than ever. I've been using Pinterest since last September, but it's getting bigger and better every day. And the app makes finding great inspiration easy. This is my favorite app to kill time when I'm bored. (Yes, sometimes I get bored.)

4. Errands (Free)

If you are a list-maker, this free app is for you. I like it because you can create check lists and cross things out as you complete them. I use it for grocery lists, to-dos and more. You can create as many lists as you'd like. Super handy.

5. Pandora (Free)

I like Pandora on my computer. I love Pandora on my iPhone. I have several stations set up depending on my mood. And I especially that you get tons of variety and very few commercials. I even hook it into my car for drives. I've found so many great songs I never would have heard without Pandora. And I love that you can easily buy the songs through iTunes when it suits you.

So, those are my current picks. I use lots of other apps, too. But these are the ones that have risen to the top of my list and get used often. (I left out the obvious players like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Words with Friends.) Obviously, I've not been compensated by any of these companies. I just like the apps and thought someone may like my honest reviews.

Tell me, what are your favorite apps on your smartphone?

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Why you should wish you are related to my in-laws

I know some people don't get along with their in-laws, but I have to say that I really lucked out in the in-law department. They are pretty awesome. Funny, kind, thoughtful...

And did I mention that they have really good taste? (Not a necessity, but kinda cool.) And not just great taste in the daughter-in-law department...

I've given you a little tour of some of their home (which is fabulous and magazine-worthy.

(And hilarious enough, all those curtains and the light fixture in the photos above are now living with us.)

But, I've been holding out on you on one of the greatest projects ever.

They are renovating their walk-out basement. And while it isn't done yet, I had to share some of my favorite details. You better believe I'll be taking photos of the finished room. And in true awesome in-laws fashion, they were totally cool with me snapping pictures (and actually read our blog, too).

It all began with this fabulous fireplace re-do.

They had it redone with stone and an amazing real barn beam.

I love it, because it's kinda Northwoodsy, but also has a modern cottage feel. Don't you think? Then they added the floor-to-ceiling beadboard and a new ceiling with tons of can lights. (Doesn't even feel like a basement anymore.)

Then they thought, why not blow Kim's world and make some barn doors?

Dy-ing.

They spotted this awesome television console at American, which is perfect in the space.

Are you loving where this is going? I am. And not just because this basement re-do meant that we got to fill up a few vehicles of hand-me-downs. (But that certainly didn't hurt.) I've addressed the fact that Ryan and I snap up hand-me-downs faster than someone can get the entire question out. (Ask my mother-in-law, she'll tell you.)

So, it should come as no surprise that - oops, we did it again.

Since Ryan's folks are getting some new furniture for the basement and had been holding some curtains/furniture/accessories for us, we went out to their house to load up a vehicle or two (or maybe three). They let us snoop through their "staging area," as I like to call it. They have an area in their basement that I think some people would be jealous. *Raising my hand.*

Here are a few of our scores.

We also scooped up a rug, a couple bags of curtains and accessories and a couple foot stools. Ryan thinks I'm a hoarder, but I just know an awesome offer when I see it.

And he is pretty darn excited about his new addition. No, not the Neil Diamond record (although that's pretty awesome, too).

It's a stereo/record player that his grandpa built years ago (60s/70s?). My husband is downright giddy about this. He'll be listening to his Cubs on this puppy, just like his grandpa did. Some habits die hard.

And in case you are wondering (Papa Bear), Ryan has informed me that I cannot paint it.

I'll share more of what we brought home on Thursday. We already set up some of the furniture in the living room of the new house. I think it's going to look great. Much better suited to our new home.

What do you think?

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Week 2: The "eat-what-we-got" challenge

Do you want to know how much I love you, Internet?

My Internet is down and I'm at Qdoba to blog. The irony isn't lost on me. Ryan agreed to bring me to Qdoba to get a burrito (not really on the "eat-what-we-got" plan) and use the free wireless internet for blogging (about our "eat-what-we-got" challenge).

Outside of this Qdoba run, the "eat-what-we-got" challenge is going really well. While I've never been a strict menu planner, it really does help me to stay on track. We did stop at the Farmer's Market and Aldi for some fresh produce, orange juice, etc. Ryan also brought home a ton of free sweet corn, so that will need to be eaten in the next week or two.

But we definitely spent a ton less than usual over the past two weeks, and it seems like our pantry and freezer are beginning to look more empty. And we've eaten at home so much this week, despite having a crazy busy week. We actually ate two additional meals at home than what were on last week's plan.

So, go us. (What's the use of having your own blog if you can't toot your own horn?)

Last week's meals
Monday - Slow cooker beef roast (Easy and tasty, 4/5)
Wednesday - Creamy tomato basil pasta (This did not turn out nearly as great as I hoped, 3/5)
Thursday - Slow cooker baked potatoes with toppings (Love making these in the slow cooker and had leftovers for a great lunch, 4/5)
Friday- Black beans and rice with guacamole (Our favorite, 5/5)

Saturday - Lasagna and salad (Just frozen, nothing fancy, 3/5)

Sunday lunch - Italian sausage with corn on the cob (So delicious, 5/5)
Breakfast - homemade breakfast sandwiches (Disappointing and definitely no McDonalds, 2/5)

Pretty close to plan. Ryan brought home some Italian sausage, so we did eat that. And we added lasagna on Saturday night.

This week's meals
Monday - Corn on the cob and/or leftovers (lasagna and black beans/rice)
Tuesday - Mexican rice bake (idea via Mandy at Southern Gnome)
Wednesday- Fried green tomatoes with pasta
Thursday - Julia's easy slow cooker chicken
Friday - Chicken/fish on the grill with hash browns and corn on the cob
Saturday - Homemade pizza

And here's the pantry list. I've colored the items I'll be using this week in red and crossed out the used items, which will disappear in future weeks.

Meat
Pre-cooked ground sausage (ate some, but some is still left)
Chicken tenderloins
Chicken breast
Ground beef (1)
Breakfast sausage
Beef roast
Pre-made lasagna
Chili (2)
Salmon
Tilapia

Vegetables
Frozen corn (4)
Frozen mixed veggies (2)
Frozen snap peas
Frozen peas
Frozen shredded zucchini and squash
Frozen Asparagus
Frozen winter squash
Potatoes
Hash browns (4)

Fruit
Strawberries
Peaches
Rhubarb

Cheese
Cheddar (4) (3)
Mozzarella (3)
Italian blend
Mexican (2)
Cream cheese (4) (3)

Pasta
Penne (1)
Macaroni
Lasagna
Fettucini (2)
Linguine
Spaghetti (3)
Egg noodles (2)

Canned goods
Black beans (5) (4)
Diced tomatoes (2)
Mexican diced and whole tomatoes (5) (4)
Tomato sauce (6)
Tomato paste
Pizza sauce (2)
Spaghetti sauce (4)
Mushroom
Tuna (2)
Corn
Manwich (2)
Cream of mushroom soup
Cream of chicken soup (2)
Baked beans (3)
Olives (1)
Artichoke
Enchilada sauce (4)

Misc.
Eggs
Bisquick
Taco seasoning (4)
Tortillas (1)
Beef stew seasoning
French onion soup mix (2)
Italian seasoning (3)
Corn bread
Walnuts
Brown rice
White rice
Raisins
Peanuts
Pecans
A variety of baking supplies, including flours, sugars, etc.

Any other ideas for next week's meals?

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Renovation progress report - week 50

This week, Ryan was a bit of a one-man show. Between my trip and class, I spent absolutely no time working on the house. But he did have some help. Just not from me.

And, the biggest project of the week was the dishwasher. Dum. Dum. Dum.

Unfortunately, the original dishwasher we purchased was one inch too deep for the space.

Yeah.... I'll let that soak in for a minute.



The $600 dishwasher that we bought, paid for and had delivered. Didn't fit. I don't have any pictures of it. We're erasing it from our collective memory.

We knew that the wall had a bump out, but we were under the impression that all dishwashers were the same depth and would work. And, well, that's not the case.

So, luckily for us, Sears has a 30-day return policy. So they picked it up the next day with no hassle whatsoever (thanks, Sears). And we were able to find a dishwasher that fit the depth from a local store so we could get it immediately. So after a bit of a detour, Ryan and my dad got the new (US-assembled) dishwasher installed.

AND IT FITS!

Ryan also installed the disposal in the sink and did a great job, if I do say so myself.

He also surprised me by painting the trim in the guest bedroom. (That guy's a keeper.)

It really looks super good.

What do we think of the grey color? I used to hate it. Then I liked it. Now I'm not sure. I was thinking about painting it a pool aqua color that I already own. What do you think?

Ryan also worked on installing shelves and bars in the closets. So now we can hang clothes. Which will be handy.

And finally, we added a few new pieces to the living room this week.

Ryan's parents had some nice carpet that we had cut into rugs for the living room and bedroom. (The living room rug is 7.5 x 14.) And that fabulous couch? It's ours now.

Yay!

I love it. It's really quite comfortable and it will be super nice to have the extra seating. It's a relatively long room, so we just need to figure out how to set up the room and we'll be golden.

And that is the week in review.

And I'm also pretty darn excited, because the House List is getting pretty close to complete. So, sure, there are still things to do. But, lots of things are checked. Yay!

What do you think?

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Pouf-A-Long

It is time for the Pouf-A-Long, friends, and I can't wait to see what you came up with.

And don't forget to check out the versions at my friends Meredith at Welcome to Heardmont and Liz at It's Great to be Home.

I'll show you mine first.

I kind of changed up my plan for the pouf, for the sake of my sanity. I had the pattern together for the BH&G version pouf, but I just didn't have time to assemble it. So, when I spotted a simple and modern version of the pouf at Apartment Therapy next week, I decided to try that instead.

(Apartment Therapy)

It's really perfect because it can double as a doggie bed, which the pugs don't currently have. And since they like to use the back couch cushions as their current dog beds, this is a vast improvement.

I used some decor fabric I had on hand. I've been thinking about bringing some blue into my life and I actually found the fabric at Reusable Usables, and it was dirt cheap because they charge by the pound.

I filled the pouf with four standard pillows, which filled it out pretty perfectly.

And that is my pouf.

Now it's your turn!
1. Include the button above (created by the lovely and talented Liz) on your blog with a link to one of our pages.
2. Post about your own pouf on your blog. (You can also link up to a past post for your DIY pouf.)
3. Link up! You can link up here or at Welcome to Heardmont or It's Great to be Home. All links should show up on all blogs. Please include the permanent link to your post.
4. Check out at least 2 other poufs and comment! Make some new friends.

(If your post is not about a pouf or you otherwise don't read the rules, we reserve the right to remove your link. This isn't a spam party.)






HAVE FUN AND POUF ON!

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A pennant baby quilt

Here's my most recent baby quilt, made for some of our friends expecting their first little one in September.

I was inspired by Cheryl at A Pretty Cool Life, who made a pennant quilt last year. I filed it away in my brain (and on Pinterest) in the hopes that I would make one someday.

Then I saw this beauty on Vintage Modern Quilts and fell in love again.

And my version...

Sarah (the mom-to-be) is super trendy and fun, and I hoped she would like this style for her little one. I love quilts with lots of white for a fun and modern look and I'm really pleased with how this one came together.

I chose all the fabrics to loosely coordinate with the gorgeous bedding they registered for at Restoration Hardware Baby. I actually had all the fabrics on-hand, which made this the first time ever that I was able to make a full quilt with what I already had. (SCORE!)

The gender of the baby is unknown, so I went with some neutrals, with a pop of pinkish coral. The great part of this quilt is that you only need small pieces. I was able to use tons of my favorites for this quilt. And the back is a really pretty taupe/grey dot.

I just did a few lines of quilting at the top of the pennants, and a black stitch to tie the pennants together. All the pennants are stitched together with a zig zag stitch. After washing, the edges of the flags got really soft and fuzzy. I love that.

Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I hope mom and dad-to-be like it, too. And I hope the new baby will spend lots of time napping and playing on this quilt.

What do you think?

(Don't forget to link up to our Pouf-A-Long tomorrow. Should be lots of poufy fun.)

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This, that and the other

Reminder: Wednesday is our Pouf-A-Long party, hosted here at NewlyWoodwards, Welcome to Heardmont and It's Great to be Home. Join us by making a pouf (using this BH&G tutorial or another tutorial).

In non-pouf news - over the weekend, I got to take a break for a quick visit to see my college roommate, Ali, in Kansas City.

We had a great time, and it was nice to get away, catch up and have some fun. We walked...

(It may have been so hot Ali said she was going to die. But no one died and it was fun to get outside and walk around downtown and at the Farmer's Market.)

We shopped and gawked over design ideas...

(I totally want a huge metal W on my wall and a terra cotta pot-turned-light-fixture on my patio. And while I didn't take any photos, I got the best scores at the Gap in my life. Lined dress slacks for $6.99? Yes, please.)

We dined...

(Have you eaten at Drunken Fish? Oh.my.goodness. I was dying of yumminess.)

We saw the last Harry Potter movie...

(The cinema has recliners and a bar, which makes it the best theatre in the world in my opinion.)

And we hung out with her pup, Yadier.

(Who enjoyed picking my flip flops out of my suitcase while I was in the shower. Silly dog.)

It's nice to connect with friends, and I really hope Ali and I get to do it again soon.

How was your weekend?

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